Post by Lesli on Aug 14, 2010 18:16:00 GMT -5
We (when we milked daily) milked once a day shared with the calf, calf stayed in the pen all day, Mom grazed, could see the squirt all day and felt fine leaving him in the pen. They always get used to it in a matter of a couple of days. Mom comes to pen at night to be milked, we take all we can get then turn her loose into the pen and calf goes at it. Stays with her all night, we turn her out in the morning after calf nurses all night, and she grazes and he hangs out eating hay. We do leave creep feed out but they usually just nose around in it till they are maybe 5-6 months old. By that time we are letting the calf out with mom and penning the calf when we need to milk once or twice a week so that we have all we need and the calf can take all the rest. Works perfectly, and we always have the milk we need and don't have to worry about excess when folks don't come get their milk. Now we have pigs so they could take any extra. I know some say you should feed creep feed before hay to a calf. But our calves, while they are still sucking mom, always start hay about three weeks old and never have I had a pot bellied calf. AND our heifer rarely even gets any feed, she is gorgeous, looks more like a mini than a baby at 9 months now. She still is nursing for the time being, but at our mercy as she is fostered and Daisy only nurses while in the chute. Because we are the ones to let her nurse she can still graze with Daisy daily. Sure makes for easy weaning for fosters. We really want to wean her but we are so busy and boys don't have time to milk daily as their dad keeps them busy, busy, busy with other chores, and band practice etc. We are looking for another calf. Twice a week is about all I can get out of them. (and I know it sounds lame, but I have carpal tunnel, numb hands and arms don't milk well.) And now our system works so well.